Basotho Hat Shop
Landmark and crafts shop in Maseru, Lesotho
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Basotho Hat Shop is a landmark, craft shop, and tourist attraction located in Maseru, Lesotho.[4]
| Basotho Hat Shop | |
|---|---|
Mokorotlo building | |
| |
 Interactive map of the Basotho Hat Shop area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Rondavel[1] |
| Architectural style | Novelty |
| Location | Kingsway Road, Maseru, Lesotho |
| Coordinates | 29°18′49″S 27°29′12″E |
| Opened | April 28, 1962[2] |
| Renovated | 2000[3] |
| Demolished | 1998 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Thatch |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Colin Unsworth[2] |
The building is conical in shape, and was originally constructed with reinforced concrete and a thatched roof.[4][5] It was designed by Colin Unsworth, then the Assistant Government Architect, and opened on April 28, 1962.[2]
The building is an example of novelty architecture as it is built to resemble a Mokorotlo, a traditional type of straw hat and national symbol of Lesotho.[4] The Mokorotlo was in turn inspired by the conical shape of Mount Qiloane.[6] The building operates as a craft shop, selling locally made, traditional handmade products, including Basotho hats, masks, pottery, and wood crafts and to tourists.[4][7]
In 2000, the building belonged to Lesotho Cooperative Handicrafts and employed 11 Basotho crafters.[3]
Rebuilding
The building originally opened in 1962.[5] In September 1998, during civil unrest in Maseru, the Basotho Hat building was destroyed by fire.[4][8] In 2000, the government allocated L5,200,000 for a rebuilding project.[3] In 2000 at the inauguration of the newly rebuilt Basotho Hat Shop, the then prime minister, Pakalitha Mosisili, called the building a "landmark and symbol of unity", and said that the building "indicates our identity as a nation."[3]
Mount Qiloane, the legendary conical mountain close to Thaba Bosiu, said to have inspired the mokorotlo.
An example of a Mokorotl, a traditional straw hat
Basotho Hat Shop with a view of Kingsway
View of the Basotho Hat Shop within the city of Maseru
